Not only is it odd that, as the article points out, there is no consensus regarding the precise endpoint of human life, but it is also odd that there is no consensus as to the precise beginning point, either. And yet, so many things depend on both of those points.

If there were a god, it would almost be like it was messing with us.

Greg Shenaut

My embriology professor pointed to the fact that even the zygote is created by two (live) cells that combine. Those reproductive cells are created by stem cells, which split to create new cells...

From a religious perspective, all is a continuation of life from one transformative state to another.

My dear there is a GOD it's that we're all too busy we can't hear him. He's not messing with us we are messing up ourselves, we all just need to slow down in this busy world and give him a chance to speak. GOD will not yell or try to speak over our Radios, TV's, Ipods, cell phones or even us; our busy minds which most of the time is yelling out within us with things from work, family, ect..

We ALL need to slow down and lend our ears and we will hear.

Take care God Bless

At the founding of the USA, only the Indians do not know God and it is a fact the constitution was made to convey this virtue of belief. After the nation achieved greatness, it's surprising to note a lot of people do not know where their basic rights came from.

I completly agree on the oddity of these facts. Nevertheless, I think there is a God and we are the ones messing with what has been written as direction on both cases. We choose what suits us and not always waht is correct. The bible has both answers.

Jorge

What a narrow and uneducated spasm of an article.

I entirely agree with the blog that got censored : ,"What an ignorant and uneducated spasm of an article indeed"

To the detrement of all Humanaterian causes and the formidable task of achieving peace and unity on earth, religion and faith still persists as a tool of selfish and self-serving people to manipulate the weak and desperate, the uneducated and insecure, the very young and innocent, the very old, sick and dying: [pnganly]

Opinions of some more people on this subject:

"It appears to me (whether rightly or wrongly) that direct arguments against christianity and theism produce hardly any effect on the public; and freedom of thought is best promoted by the gradual illumination of men's minds which follows from the advance of science." [Darwin]

"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." [Voltaire]

"I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotism." [Einstein]

"Faith means not wanting to know what is true." [Nietzsche]

"I cannot believe in the immortality of the soul.... No, all this talk of an existence for us, as individuals, beyond the grave is wrong. It is born of our tenacity of life – our desire to go on living … our dread of coming to an end." [Edison]

"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma." [Lincoln]

"Religion is a byproduct of fear. For much of human history, it may have been a necessary evil, but why was it more evil than necessary? Isn't killing people in the name of God a pretty good definition of insanity?" [Arthur C. Clarke]

"Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies." [Thomas Jefferson]

"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith, I consider a capacity for it terrifying and absolutely vile." [Kurt Vonnegut]

"Religion is based . . . mainly on fear . . . fear of the mysterious, fear of defeat, fear of death. Fear is the parent of cruelty, and therefore it is no wonder if cruelty and religion have gone hand in hand. . . . My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race." [Bertrand Russell]

Do you really think that faith is a waste? Without faith we would have no hope for anything. There is a God and you must have faith. If you truly think this is all there is to life then why are you wasting yours with such cynical statements made by people you've never met? I am in no way trying to be rude, but I would like to leave you with a thought that I'm sure will give you something to think about. If you're right then I guess I'll be fine. Nothing can change because I have faith, but what if I'm right? Then where will you be? Hell is hot and lonely. I hope you can see this as more helpful than as ridicule, because I don't mean any disrespect. God bless you.

it's not really the begining or the end that is so important, it's what's in between.

transformation from life to death, yes, it's all a part of the same thing.

it's not that the indians didn't know god, it's just that no one took the time to know the indian.

all written records are subject to interpretation. most written records have been written and re-written too many times to claim they are the true story.

I'm not bothered by these issues.

I'm a Frizbitarian. We believe that, when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and you can't get it down.

- Ellery

Why wouldn't God want to slow down for us simple minded humans? If we are in such dire conditions by our actions, and he is a gracious and loving God then why not take the time to yell over our Radios, TV's, Ipods, cell phone and our own busy minds...He certainly has the power...it really wouldn't take that much of His infinite time...

This brings up some very interesting issues...If death occurs upon the cessation of breath, then it is assumed that in the absence of breath, there is no life. If, as the article asserts, "Christians...ardently support the traditional circulatory-respiratory definition of death....They may point to Leviticus 17:11, which states that "the life of the flesh is in the blood," or Genesis 2:7, which describes how God "formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.", then the same argument could be used to support the position that life does not exist until breathing begins - as in at birth. Hmmm, slippery slope, indeed...